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| Author |
Pereira, A.J.S.C.; Neves, L.J.P.F. |
| Title |
Estimation of the radiological background and dose assessment in areas with naturally occurring uranium geochemical anomalies—a case study in the Iberian Massif (Central Portugal) |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2012 |
Publication  |
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
112 |
Issue |
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Pages |
96-107 |
| Keywords |
Background, Dose assessment, Geochemical anomalies, Mine remediation, Natural radioactivity, Uranium |
| Abstract |
Naturally occurring uranium geochemical anomalies, representative of the several thousand recognized in the Portuguese section of the Iberian Massif and outcropping in three target areas with a total of a few thousand square metres, were subjected to a detailed study (1:1000 scale) to evaluate the radiological health-risk on the basis of a dose assessment. To reach this goal some radioactive isotopes from the uranium, thorium and potassium radioactive series were measured in 52 samples taken from different environmental compartments: soils, stream sediments, water, foodstuff (vegetables) and air; external radiation was also measured through a square grid of 10×10m, with a total of 336 measurements. The results show that some radioisotopes have high activities in all the environmental compartments as well as a large variability, namely for those of the uranium decay chain, which is a common situation in the regional geological setting. Isotopic disequilibrium is also common and led to an enrichment of several isotopes in the different pathways, as is the case of 226Ra; maximum values of 1.76BqL−1 (water), 986Bqkg−1 (soils) and 18.9Bqkg−1 (in a turnip sample) were measured. On the basis of a realistic scenario combined with the experimental data, the effective dose from exposure to ionizing radiation for two groups of the population (rural and urban) was calculated; the effective dose is variable between 8.0 and 9.5mSvyear−1, which is 3–4 times higher than the world average. Thus, the radiological health-risk for these populations could be significant and the studied uranium anomalies must be taken into account in the assessment of the geochemical background. The estimated effective dose can also be used as typical of the background of the Beiras uranium metalogenetic province and therefore as a “benchmark” in the remediation of the old uranium mining sites. |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ pereira_estimation_2012 |
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129 |
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Zhang, H.; Gao, J.; Xu, L.; Zhang, X. |
| Title |
Case studies of radioactivity of drilling mud for in situ leaching uranium mining in China |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2022 |
Publication |
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity |
Abbreviated Journal |
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| Volume |
251-252 |
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Pages |
106982 |
| Keywords |
Drilling mud, Exemption management, In situ leaching, Radioactivity |
| Abstract |
The drilling mud from in situ leaching uranium mining is a type of low-radioactivity waste that contains natural nuclides and other harmful substances. In order to determine whether the drilling mud can meet the requirements of radioactive exemption management standards, field investigations and data simulations were conducted in this study. Two typical uranium mines were selected for onsite investigations. Drilling mud from different layers (i.e., the upper covering layer and ore-bearing layer) and from different stages (e.g., logging stage mud, drilling expansion stage mud, and mixed mud) was sampled. For each sample, the 238U and 226Ra concentrations of the solid components and the U and 226Ra concentrations of the supernatant were analyzed. The results revealed that the highest 238U and 226Ra concentrations of the solid components were 4122 Bq/kg and 4077 Bq/kg, while the 238U and 226Ra concentrations of the mixed drilling mud were all less than 300 Bq/kg. A radioactivity estimation model was established for scenario analysis. Exemption management screening lines of waste drilling mud, which can be used to classify and treat the drilling project according to the deposit’s grade and conditions, were proposed for in situ leaching drilling projects. |
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0265-931x |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ zhang_case_2022 |
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191 |
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Xie, T.; Lian, B.; Chen, C.; Qian, T.; Liu, X.; Shang, Z.; Li, T.; Wang, R.; Wang, Z.; Zhang, A.; Zhu, J. |
| Title |
Leaching behaviour and mechanism of U, 226Ra and 210Pb from uranium tailings at different pH conditions |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Journal of Environmental Radioactivity |
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| Volume |
270 |
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Pages |
107300 |
| Keywords |
Leaching experiments, Pb, Ra, U, Uranium tailings |
| Abstract |
A large number of radionuclides remain in uranium tailings, and U, 226Ra and 210Pb leach out with water chemistry, causing potential radioactive contamination to the surrounding environment. In this paper, uranium tailings from a uranium tailings pond in southern China were collected at different depths by means of borehole sampling, mixed and homogenised, and analysed for mineral and chemical composition, microscopic morphology, U, 226Ra and 210Pb fugacity, static leaching and dynamic leaching of U, 226Ra and 210Pb in uranium tailings at different pH conditions. The variation of U, 226Ra and 210Pb concentrations in the leachate under different pH conditions with time was obtained, and the leaching mechanism was analysed. The results showed that the uranium tailings were dominated by quartz, plagioclase and other minerals, of which SiO2 and Al2O3 accounted for 65.45% and 13.32% respectively, and U, 226Ra and 210Pb were mainly present in the residue form. The results of the static leaching experiments show that pH mainly influences the leaching of U, 226Ra and 210Pb by changing their chemical forms and the particle properties of the tailings, and that the lower the pH the more favourable the leaching. The results of dynamic leaching experiments during the experimental cycle showed that the leaching concentration and cumulative release of U, 226Ra and 210Pb in the leach solution were greater at lower pH conditions than at higher pH conditions, and the leaching of U, 226Ra and 210Pb at different pH conditions was mainly from the water-soluble and exchangeable states. The present research results are of great significance for the environmental risk management and control of radioactive contamination in existing uranium tailings ponds, and are conducive to ensuring the long-term safety, stability and sustainability of uranium mining sites. |
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0265-931x |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ xie_leaching_2023 |
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200 |
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| Author |
Pree, T.A.D. |
| Title |
The politics of baselining in the Grants uranium mining district of northwestern New Mexico |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2020 |
Publication |
Journal of Environmental Management |
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| Volume |
268 |
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110601 |
| Keywords |
Critical stakeholder analysis, Environmental cleanup, Environmental monitoring, Mining reclamation/remediation/restoration, Politics of baselining |
| Abstract |
During the second half of the twentieth century, northwestern New Mexico served as the primary production site for one of the world’s largest nuclear arsenals. From 1948 to 1970 the “Grants uranium district” provided almost half of the total uranium ore accumulated by the United States federal government for the production of nuclear weapons, in addition to becoming a national source for commercial nuclear energy from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. By the twenty-first century, after a prolonged period of economic decline that began in the late 1970s, all uranium mining and milling in New Mexico had ceased, leaving a legacy of environmental health impacts. What was once referred to as “The Uranium Capital of the World” now encompasses over a thousand abandoned uranium mines and seven massive uranium mill tailings piles, which are associated with airborne and soil contamination as well as groundwater plumes of uranium and other contaminants of concern, in a landscape that has been fractured by underground mine workings and punctured by thousands of exploratory boreholes. This article presents an ethnographic study of the diverse forms of expertise involved in monitoring and managing the mine waste and mill tailings. Drawing from over two years of ethnographic research, I describe the relationship between different stakeholders from local communities, government agencies, and transnational mining corporations as they deliberate about the possibility of cleaning up the former mining district. My thesis is that the possibility of cleaning up the Grants district hinges on the “politics of baselining”—a term I introduce to describe the relationship between stakeholders and their competing environmental models and hydrogeological theories; each accounts for a different geological past prior to mining that can be deemed “natural,” as the background against which to measure the anthropogenic impacts from mining. |
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0301-4797 |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ pree_politics_2020 |
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151 |
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Boumaiza, L.; Ammar, S.B.; Chesnaux, R.; Stotler, R.L.; Mayer, B.; Huneau, F.; Johannesson, K.H.; Levison, J.; Knöller, K.; Stumpp, C. |
| Title |
Nitrate sources and transformation processes in groundwater of a coastal area experiencing various environmental stressors |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2023 |
Publication |
Journal of Environmental Management |
Abbreviated Journal |
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345 |
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Pages |
118803 |
| Keywords |
Aquifer, Denitrification, MixSIAR, Nitrate, Nitrification, Stable isotopes |
| Abstract |
In coastal salinized groundwater systems, contamination from various nitrate (NO3) inputs combined with complex hydrogeochemical processes make it difficult to distinguish NO3 sources and identify potential NO3 transformtation processes. Effective field-based NO3 studies in coastal areas are needed to improve the understanding of NO3 contamination dynamics in groundwater of such complex coastal systems. This study focuses on a typical Mediterranean coastal agricultural area, located in Tunisia, experiencing substantial NO3 contamination from multiple anthropogenic sources. Here, multiple isotopic tracers (δ18OH2O, δ2HH2O, δ15NNO3, δ18ONO3, and δ11B) combined with a Bayesian isotope MixSIAR model are used (i) to identify the major NO3 sources and their contributions, and (ii) to describe the potential NO3 transformation processes. The measured NO3 concentrations in groundwater are above the natural baseline threshold, suggesting anthropogenic influence. The measured isotopic composition of NO3 indicates that manure, soil organic matter, and sewage are the potential sources of NO3, while δ11B values constrain the NO3 contamination to manure; a finding that is supported by the results of MixSIAR model revealing that manure-derived NO3 dominates over other likely sources. Nitrate derived from manure in the study area is attributed to organic fertilizers used to promote crop growth, and livestock that deposit manure directly on the ground surface. Evidence for ongoing denitrification in groundwaters of the study area is supported by an enrichment in both 15N and 18O in the remaining NO3, although isotopic mass balances between the measured and the theoretical δ18ONO3 values also suggest the occurrence of nitrification. The simultaneous occurrence of these biogeochemical processes with heterogeneous distribution across the study area reflect the complexity of interactions within the investigated coastal aquifer. The multiple isotopic tracer approach used here can identify the effect of multiple NO3 anthropogenic activities in coastal environments, which is fundamental for sustainable groundwater resources management. |
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0301-4797 |
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THL @ christoph.kuells @ boumaiza_nitrate_2023 |
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170 |
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